The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced a $12 million grant from the Driving the Nation Fund to support JET Charge’s $24.9 million Charging as a Service Project, providing fleet operators with a new payment method for EV charging infrastructure.
Under the Charging as a Service (CaaS) model, JET Charge will install and maintain EV chargers at the customer’s location. JET Charge will charge fleet operators a subscription fee for the service, similar to how consumers pay for streaming services.
The project will last three years and will involve the installation of over 3,100 new EVs as well as supporting charging infrastructure.
According to ARENA, transport accounts for roughly one-fifth of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, making it an essential sector to decarbonise for Australia to reach its emissions reduction targets.
With fleets accounting for almost half of new vehicle sales, they represent a significant opportunity to decrease emissions on Australian roads.
For small fleet operators, ARENA noted that the upfront costs and continuous complexity of installing and maintaining charging infrastructure are substantial impediments to electrifying transport.
Through a monthly bundled payment, the CaaS model will enable small businesses to completely outsource their charging needs to JET Charge. JET Charge can aggregate demand from fleets to gain economies of scale and minimise charging costs for its customers.
According to ARENA CEO Darren Miller, the project will make EV charging more accessible to businesses and their fleets.
“We know that access to charging infrastructure is a barrier for fleet users looking to switch to EVs, so it’s exciting to see JET Charge developing a new way to make charging more accessible,” Miller said.
He added that the project will introduce over 3,000 electric vehicles on the road, proving charging as a service model and potentially leading to its widespread rollout across Australia.
“I am extremely excited to be working with ARENA in launching this game changing model for Australian fleets. We know that fleets are looking for a way to electrify, and that infrastructure is a key barrier. Our CaaS project will not only increase affordability, but also demonstrate what running private charging networks will look like at scale,” JET Charge CEO Tim Washington said.
